Multi-Vehicle High Integrity Perception

• US 20120221172A1
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a method for processing sensor data and controlling the movement of a vehicle. In one illustrative embodiment, a vehicle having a plurality of sensors attempts to receive sensor data. In response to an inability of the vehicle to obtain needed sensor data, collected sensor data is requested from a plurality of other vehicles to form alternate sensor data. The alternate sensor data is received and the vehicle is controlled using the alternate sensor data. In another illustrative embodiment, a request is received at a first vehicle for sensor data from a different vehicle. Sensor data is collected from a plurality of sensors at the first vehicle. The sensor data is then sent to the different vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for managing sensor data for a vehicle, the method comprising:

attempting to receive sensor data at a vehicle having a plurality of sensors;

responsive to an inability of the vehicle to obtain needed sensor data, requesting collected sensor data from a plurality of other vehicles to form alternate sensor data; and

receiving the alternate sensor data and controlling the vehicle using the alternate sensor data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step comprises:

performing localization of the vehicle using the alternate sensor data to identify a location of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step further comprises:

controlling movement of the vehicle based on the location of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors is a plurality of redundant sensors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a set of fields of regard covered by the plurality of sensors.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein an absence of an expected field of regard within the set of fields of regard for the vehicle results in an absence of the needed sensor data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the absence of the expected field of regard is caused by one of a sensor failure within the plurality of sensors and an environment around the vehicle.

8. A method for managing sensor data for a plurality of vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving a request, at a first vehicle, for sensor data from a different vehicle;

collecting the sensor data from a plurality of sensors at the first vehicle; and

sending the sensor data to the different vehicle.